"artisan" news and stories

It's an increasingly globalized world out there, with an increasingly global food market. That can lead to a certain amount of homogenization and difficulty for small producers of artisan foods. The idea behind the "Ten things to eat before they die" gala dinner in Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead, England this week is to bring attention to some of the worlds most endangered delicacies.

The spotlighted ingredients in the dinner aren't endangered by over consumption, but from under consumption. Items like the English asparagus that used to be a favorite of ocean liners but that's now grown in only four acres, and the Spanish capers that used to be famous but that now can't get sold outside of the local villages will be highlighted.

The event organizers wanted a thought provoking dinner. Part of the idea is to get some of these great foods known to foodies so that maybe high end retailers will pick them up, thus allowing the small producers to make a living selling their delicacies. I'd love to go, but as the dinner is in England and it costs about $160 (£85) it's a little out of the question. The goals of the planners are working, though: I am very intrigued by some of the items on the menu. Does anything on the menu strike your fancy? What would you try?

[Via Guardian Online]

Personally, I can't get enough of the salty-sweet pleasure that comes from eating Sea Salt Caramels and, with the exception of a handful of people who don't seem to like caramel in any form, they're popular with everyone who tries them. So, when Faith, a commenter, mentioned that there was a shop that sold salty caramel ice cream, it sounded like a tip that was worth checking out. Jeni's Fresh Ice Creams does indeed carry Salty Caramel Ice Cream as one of their signature flavors, but their other flavors sound equally as impressive. They include:

• Gravel Road - salty caramel with chopped smoked almonds added
• Honey Vanilla Bean - simple and delicate, with Ohio honey and Madagascar vanilla
• Queen City Cayenne - milk chocolate "Cincinnati style" ice cream with cayenne and cinnamon
• Thai Chili - Krema peanut butter with toasted coconut, cayenne and coconut milk
• Black Coffee - cream steeped with just-roasted coffee (no water). "It tastes like coffee smells."

There are also a number of limited-time seasonal creations at Jeni's, including Lemon Yogurt and Fresh Cranberry Sauce, Farmer's Market Apple Cider Sorbet, Butternut Squash with Pecan Pralines, Goat's Cheese with Figs and Port and Toasted Brioche with Butter and Jam (yes, they're all ice creams). Jeni's has two locations in Columbus, Ohio and you can order all of their flavors online.

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"Starbucks is the best thing that ever happened to coffee", according to the owner of one small coffee shop in Seattle.

At first, such a remark seems strange, coming from someone who should be, by most popular accounts, concerned about being driven out of business by the coffee giant. Yet this is not the case, as he goes on to explain that Starbucks "pioneered the idea of paying up to $5 for a cup" of specialty coffee, a concept that would have run most coffee shops out of business years ago, as people were used to paying much less. The chain also raised general coffee awareness, which allowed smaller shops to thrive in even Starbucks-dense areas by promoting artisanal coffees and providing a neighborhood alternative, which many consumers appreciated. Indeed, at some coffee shops, almost all of the customers are "regulars."

Starbucks spokespeople say that they do nothing to discourage competitors, a position which is supported by the fact that many businesses thrive only doors down from the corporate cafes. The loss of some shops would indicate a process or natural selection, with interest in a perhaps low-quality product waning as the standards of the area increase. The shops that succeed make good coffee, often offer it at prices similar to Starbucks, and "a selling point of being small," something that they couldn't do without coffee giant.

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Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, which is known for their grills and outdoor kitchens, has just introduced a new product that will have pizza lovers pining: an artisan pizza oven. The oven has a 30,000 BTU burner (gas or propane) to get the heat level just right, and a wood-chip drawer so you can add in some of the smoky flavor a wood-burning oven would naturally provide. Under the low, domed roof, the floor of the oven is a professional composite baking stone that will turn out perfect crusts on pizzas (and breads) every time it is used. Unlike smaller stones that are used for baking in regular ovens, according to the manufacturer, this one will not become brittle or crack even after repeated or extended use.

It is made of stainless steel with a double-wall insulated design, so one of the best features of the oven is not just that it will produce pizza that is much better than you could make with a standard kitchen oven, but that it is very safe, despite the high heat that it operates at.

The ovens will be available for purchase next month, with a price tag of $3,900 each. They certainly aren't cheap, but if you really love your pizza, it might just be worth it.

[via Trendir]

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Today's Sacramento Bee features a profile of "tofu master" Alvin Kunishi, co-owner of the Sacramento Tofu Co. Kunishi talks about the complexity of texture and subtlety of taste that good tofu should have, much to the amazement of SacBee writer Bob Sylva. Convinced that tofu can be serious stuff, Sylva makes good by giving lots of history of small tofu producers in California, many of which have gone out of business in the presence of larger companies. There's also talk of artisan tofu makers, turning out things like lemongrass and chili infused tofu. A few tofu recipes are also included.